One of the most environmentally progressive homes in the U.S. is nestled in the heart of Atlanta’s historic Buckhead neighborhood. EcoManor (www.ecomanor.com), set to be the first U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residence in the Southeast, was built to inspire a change in urban design by showcasing how the latest green technologies can be incorporated into a traditionally beautiful Tudor house. EcoManor will serve as an educational tool for builders, architects, designers, landscapers and homeowners to promote green living, conservation and advanced residential building practices; currently slated for Silver LEED certification, a Gold level is also a possibility.

EcoManor will be the first house ever to be certified by three of the country’s leading green initiatives (U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Greater Atlanta HBA’s EarthCraft House program and National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat program).

Over the three-car garage and through several sets of French doors overlooking the backyard is the rooftop garden, consisting of Cody buffalo grass, blueberry bushes, and other native plantings set within flagstone paths. J-DRain Geonet (www.j-drain.com) was installed under tapered insulation board, installed to create sloped drainage to the drain hole and into the rainwater harvest system. Rainwater will be collected from the rooftop and used for flushing the toilets and irrigating the landscape. The Water ReUse System reclaims the gray water for irrigating the landscape, primarily the lawn. J-DRain Greenroof System (GRS), one-inch drain core with water retention cups, was installed on top of the insulation layer and will assist in capturing rainwater and using it as a resource for the plants.

Though a much larger home than previously occupied the site, less storm water exits the site now than before because the RainHarvest System captures it and reclaims it. The water irrigates the landscape then naturally percolates into the soil instead of flowing down the gutters into the street. The lush and beautiful gardens surrounding the Eco Manor will not be a burden on the local water supply. As drinking water becomes more valuable, and water bans may become permanent, the homeowners will always be able to irrigate their gardens with their collected gray water. The owners plan to include an organic herb and vegetable garden as well as an area for composting.

“Built over the garage, the greenroof has a special membrane under the soil to collect water in small cups, where it can be accessed by the roots of the plants that make up the roof. In addition, the entire system is controlled by weather satellites, which measure the amount of water in the yard lost to evaporation, and then automatically replace it with that same amount from the cistern. The yard is planted with mostly native species, which are already well-suited to the location’s climate and require less fertilization and fewer herbicides and pesticides. Even the grass is green, being grown from seed as opposed to trucked in as sod,” (2007, HGTV’s Ground Breakers, see below).